“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me
a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.” (Matt. 25:35)

The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela continues, and it is estimated that between three and four million Venezuelans
have left the country to seek a better life elsewhere since their
homeland continues to face a political and socio-economic crisis. Since
the situation will not improve anytime soon, we can expect more
Venezuelans to migrate to other Western Hemisphere nations.

This crisis is putting additional stress on regional governments
since, in spite of significant economic growth and development in recent
years, these nations still have their own challenges, such as poverty,
natural disasters, and security problems. Thus, while Latin American
governments and societies are behaving like the proverbial Good
Samaritan toward their Venezuelan neighbors, more extra-regional support
is necessary.

The Region Helps
Due to space issues, we cannot provide an in-depth analysis of the
status of the Venezuelan migrants in each Latin American state, but some
general examples help provide a good overview of the situation.

Meanwhile, Argentina, Chile, and Peru have provided temporary work
permits to Venezuelans so that they can look for work. According to Peru’s daily newspaper La Republica,
there are almost 300,000 Venezuelans in the Andean country, out of
which 253,000 currently possess tourist visas and 45,000 have received
temporary residency permits. These governments are also validating diplomas (high
school, university, and other advanced degrees) so that the newly
arrived migrants can apply for better jobs and children can enter
schools.

Generally speaking, the Venezuelan migrants appear to be hopeful
about their new, and possibly permanent, homes. For example, an article
in Peru’s El Comercioquotes
a Venezuelan migrant who said that “arriving to Peru is like reaching
heaven” after an odyssey of 15 bus rides that took him from the
Portuguesa state in Venezuela, through Colombia, Ecuador, and then to
the Peruvian capital.

The Limits of Good Samaritanism in Latin America
In spite of these good intentions, it is important to stress that
Latin American and Caribbean states are still developing nations, so
there are limits to how many Venezuelans they can accept and for how
long they can help.

For example, the Caribbean islands of Aruba and
Curacao, which are part of the Netherlands, have declared that they need
help from The Hague to process and provide financial aid to the
Venezuelans currently in their islands. Aruba’s prime minister claims
that there are as many as five thousand Venezuelans on the island, though sources that this author trusts say that this number is exaggerated.

Unfortunately, these states cannot help everyone, so some Venezuelans
have turned to begging in order to survive. Even more, xenophobic,
anti-Venezuelan sentiments are slowly spreading. In Colombia, there are
already reports of Venezuelans being threatened and harassed, as well as being denied employment or housing due to their nationality. Similarly, in early March xenophobic signs appeared in the streets of Lima, Peru, which read “#PeruSinVenezolanos—Basta ya!” (#PeruwithoutVenezuelans, enough!).

Good Samaritans
The Bible has much to say about the importance of being a Good
Samaritan, such as in Matthew 25:35, quoted at the beginning of this
essay, or Proverbs 19:17, which says that “one who is gracious to a poor
man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” For a
region like Latin America that identifies itself with Catholic beliefs,
though the overall percentage appears to be dropping, these teachings resonate on daily life.

So far, Latin American governments have maintained an open-border policy
regarding Venezuelans, even if certain local officials and politicians
are requesting an end to this policy. Moreover, there are a plethora of
news articles about how citizens of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
Peru, and others have opened their homes and wallets to help Venezuelans
who attempt to get their lives in order in a new land. This
demonstrates that there are many people in the region who understand
what being a Good Samaritan really means.

With that said, the international community cannot assume that Latin
American governments and societies can handle the Venezuelan exodus
alone, particularly if the political and socio-economic crisis in their
homeland continues as President Nicolas Maduro remains determined to
stay in power—Venezuela has a population of about 30 million, and it is
estimated that some 10 percent of the population has left in recent
years.

Tragically, Latin America is known for migratory waves that occurred
due to violence (like during the Cold War-era internal wars) or
political and economic crises, as Venezuela is currently experiencing.
For every disaster, there is also the opportunity to do good, and by and
large, Latin American governments and societies have demonstrated that,
in spite of their domestic problems and limitations, they are willing
to give their Venezuelan neighbors a helping hand.

—Wilder Alejandro Sanchez is a researcher who focuses on geopolitical, military, and cybersecurity issues in the Western Hemisphere. The
views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do
not necessarily reflect those of any institutions with which the author
is associated.